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Install Windows ML CLI

Prerequisites

Component Details
Windows Windows 11, version 24H2 or later for NPU workflows
Hardware Device with CPU, GPU, or NPU
Python 3.11, x64 (AMD64), including on Windows on Arm
Package manager uv
Version control Git, only if you install from source

Note

No NPU?

You can start with a CPU. Commands that expose --device auto select an available device; this doesn't guarantee that a model runs on every provider. Use an explicit CPU target for the quickstart.

Install

Run the following commands in PowerShell from the directory where you want to create the environment:

uv python install cpython-3.11-windows-x86_64-none
uv venv --python cpython-3.11-windows-x86_64-none
uv pip install winml-cli

These commands install x64 Python 3.11, create a local .venv environment, and install the latest published CLI package into it. Use uv run winml from this directory without activating the environment. You need an internet connection for package installation and for models or providers that aren't already cached.

Warning

Windows on Arm requires x64 Python

The CLI's current dependency set doesn't support native Arm64 Python. The installation commands above explicitly select an x64 interpreter, which runs under emulation on Windows on Arm. Runtime and provider availability still depend on the device and driver.

Tip

Install from source (for development)

If you want to contribute or run the latest unreleased code:

git clone https://github.com/microsoft/winml-cli.git
cd winml-cli
uv sync --python cpython-3.11-windows-x86_64-none

Verify

uv run winml --version
uv run winml sys --list-device --list-ep

The inventory depends on your hardware and installed providers. Confirm the expected device and provider are listed, then run the CPU quickstart to validate model preparation and inference.

The version command identifies the installed distribution. If you run a source checkout, also record its commit when reproducing an issue; editable source and installed package metadata can differ.

This command enumerates available compute devices and execution providers on your machine. If an expected device or execution provider is missing, winml sys is the right place to diagnose it. See winml sys for the full flag reference and troubleshooting tips.

Next steps

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